Show Cats: The Standard of Perfection
Encyclopedia
The Standard of Perfection: Show Cats is a 2006 American documentary film directed by Mark Lewis
about the lives of show cat
s and their owners.
International Cat Show, in Houston, Texas
and in other locations in Houston
, filmmaker Mark Lewis gives viewers a comedic look inside the world of cat owners and cat shows, sharing the idiosyncrasies of owners who name cats after celebrities and who sometimes treat their cats better than family members. Some of the cats featured in the documentary were named after Jacqueline Kennedy, George W. Bush
, Candice Bergen
, Nicole Kidman
, Collin Powell (the cat actually met his namesake), Wolf Blitzer
, Monica Lewinsky
(the cat was referred to as "Ms. Lewinsky"), and Spider-Man
. There were others by other names that were owned by other people featured in the documentary, but they were not focused on as much as the celebrity-named ones listed here.
described The Standard of Perfection: Show Cats as "a pleasant if slightly mean-spirited hour on PBS stations" where cats live up to their reputations as "haughty, arrogant" pets. Gates said that the documentary reminded her of the 2000 mockumentary Best in Show
with similarities in the owners' eccentricity. She noted the documentary's most interesting moment as a freaked-out cat in competition jumping into an audience. She concluded, "'Show Cats' is all about watching beautiful, fastidiously groomed animals looking their best for the cameras and the judges."
Ranny Green of The Seattle Times
writes that "Mark Lewis' Show Cats is a compelling mix of expressive close-ups from the giant show hall to the tiny playroom at home, plus revealing interviews with owners and judges." He adds, "Lewis captures a buoyant, playful camaraderie as competitors get ready." He says that "Show Cats gets a silver for entertainment and education, while appearing a bit too formulaic."
Mark Lewis (filmmaker)
Mark Lewis is a documentary film and television producer, director and writer. He is famous for his film Cane Toads: An Unnatural History and for his body of work on animals...
about the lives of show cat
Show cat
A show cat is one that has been judged to be close to the physical ideal for its breed standard at a cat show...
s and their owners.
Synopsis
Filmed at the 2004 Cat Fanciers' AssociationCat Fanciers' Association
The Cat Fanciers' Association was established in the United States in 1906 and is the world's largest registry of pedigreed cats and the predominant pedigreed cat registering association in North America...
International Cat Show, in Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
and in other locations in Houston
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
, filmmaker Mark Lewis gives viewers a comedic look inside the world of cat owners and cat shows, sharing the idiosyncrasies of owners who name cats after celebrities and who sometimes treat their cats better than family members. Some of the cats featured in the documentary were named after Jacqueline Kennedy, George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
, Candice Bergen
Candice Bergen
Candice Patricia Bergen is an American actress and former fashion model.She is known for starring in two TV series, as the title character on the situation comedy Murphy Brown , for which she won five Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards; and as Shirley Schmidt on the comedy-drama Boston Legal...
, Nicole Kidman
Nicole Kidman
Nicole Mary Kidman, AC is an American-born Australian actress, singer, film producer, spokesmodel, and humanitarian. After starring in a number of small Australian films and TV shows, Kidman's breakthrough was in the 1989 thriller Dead Calm...
, Collin Powell (the cat actually met his namesake), Wolf Blitzer
Wolf Blitzer
Wolf Isaac Blitzer is an American journalist who has been a CNN reporter since 1990. Blitzer is currently the host of the newscast The Situation Room and was the host of the Sunday talk show Late Edition until it was discontinued on January 11, 2009...
, Monica Lewinsky
Monica Lewinsky
Monica Samille Lewinsky is an American woman with whom United States President Bill Clinton admitted to having had an "improper relationship" while she worked at the White House in 1995 and 1996...
(the cat was referred to as "Ms. Lewinsky"), and Spider-Man
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
. There were others by other names that were owned by other people featured in the documentary, but they were not focused on as much as the celebrity-named ones listed here.
Reception
Anita Gates of The New York TimesThe New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
described The Standard of Perfection: Show Cats as "a pleasant if slightly mean-spirited hour on PBS stations" where cats live up to their reputations as "haughty, arrogant" pets. Gates said that the documentary reminded her of the 2000 mockumentary Best in Show
Best in Show (film)
Best in Show is a 2000 independent film that follows five entrants in a prestigious dog show. The film focuses on the slightly surreal interactions among the various owners and handlers as they travel to the show and compete. Much of the dialogue was improvised.Christopher Guest directed; he also...
with similarities in the owners' eccentricity. She noted the documentary's most interesting moment as a freaked-out cat in competition jumping into an audience. She concluded, "'Show Cats' is all about watching beautiful, fastidiously groomed animals looking their best for the cameras and the judges."
Ranny Green of The Seattle Times
The Seattle Times
The Seattle Times is a newspaper serving Seattle, Washington, US. It is the largest daily newspaper in the state of Washington. It has been, since the demise in 2009 of the printed version of the rival Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Seattle's only major daily print newspaper.-History:The Seattle Times...
writes that "Mark Lewis' Show Cats is a compelling mix of expressive close-ups from the giant show hall to the tiny playroom at home, plus revealing interviews with owners and judges." He adds, "Lewis captures a buoyant, playful camaraderie as competitors get ready." He says that "Show Cats gets a silver for entertainment and education, while appearing a bit too formulaic."
External links
- Standard of Perfection: Show Cats at the Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...
- Standard of Perfection: Show Cats at Allmovie
- PBS's preview for Standard of Perfection: Show Cats
- The Texas Belle Kitties' website (they appeared in the documentary)